A lack of depth at the full-back position apparently forced Roy Hodgson’s hand today, as the manager agreed to a £2.5m with Aston Villa for full-back Luke Young. Whilst Young isn’t the most...
Update: Great article in the Guardian today regarding Liverpool’s financial status.
Remember this beautiful structure in the photo? I’m sure you do as it was once Liverpool’s proposed stadium that Messrs. Hick and Gillett promised us a couple years ago. It was a beautiful new stadium that was supposed to put us right at the top of Europe with the most advanced home around.
On paper the new stadium sounded like a wonderful thing. But like most things promised by G&H, the new stadium will remain just that: a beautiful idea that will remain on paper for years to come.
We all know where the club stands at the moment. Knee deep in debt and looking for a way out, Liverpool managed to do something this season that they weren’t able to do last year, and that was turn a profit. It was reported by Companies House that Liverpool will come away with a pre-tax profit of £10.2m for the year to July 31, 2008. Looking at the £21.7m loss we took the year before, a profit in any degree seems like a moral victory of sorts.
But that’s where the good new ends.
Companies House also announced that Liverpool’s debt went from £44m to £86m in a single year. Let that figure sink in for a second. In the span of 365 days, Hicks and Gillett managed to DOUBLE our debt. Now that’s a sobering figure.
Whilst we can blame the economy and other factors on the massive debt, the fact of the matter is that the club is in territory the likes of which we’ve never seen. Both owners have been rolling over their debt on a yearly basis, heaping more and more debt on the club in spectacular fashion. But when will it all end?
The economic problems don’t appear to be going away anytime soon. And considering how much debt we have now, who’s to say we don’t double our current figure again? That may be a bit harsh, but the thought of us topping £100m isn’t far fetched.
So where does the club go from here? I don’t think I know for sure, but if a story via the Echo is to be believed, then we get a good idea of where funds are going:
Interestingly, the report also reveals that owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett injected £58m into the club.
The ECHO understands that £12m of this was used towards player acquisitions while the bulk of it was provided according to the refinancing agreement secured with the Royal Bank of Scotland in February 2007.
Hicks and Gillett are due to refinance again next month but sources indicate they are likely to be given a six-month extension to their current loan arrangement.
What that essentially means is that Hicks and Gillett are paying just enough to keep the refinancing agreement kosher while they throw bits and scraps to Benitez by way of a transfer kitty.
Considering our current debts and the economy, just how much should we realistically expect from H&G in the form of transfer funds this summer? £10m? £15m? Less than £10m? Who knows for sure. All I know is that our owners are squeezing the financial life out of our club one day at a time.
He hasn’t even spent a full day in office at Real Madrid and already Florentino Perez is making waves on the transfer front, whipping up stories in the Spanish papers that are completely untrue. Yep, that sounds about right for Real Madrid!
Captain Fantastic turns 29 today and I, along with the whole staff here at AnfieldRed, want to wish him a happy birthday.
What more can you say about Liverpool’s most influential player? Not only has he taken his game to new heights this year, but he’s also matured into the type of player most teams could only dream of having. He also won the Football Writers’ Association Football of the Year award in what was his best year statistics-wise of his career at the club. Things are definitely looking up for Liverpool’s captain!
Monday brings us to the first official day of the summer transfer window! Sure, we’ve been getting transfer rumours ad nauseam for the last couple of weeks, but the FA Cup final on Saturday provided us with the last glimpse of Premier League football for the next couple of months. The opening day of hunting season for Liverpool has them hot on the trail for a number of players, and denying the rumours that a certain star is leaving. Needless to say, the first official day of the summer window is off with a bang!
Believe it, believe it not, or believe it maybe, these are the rumours circulating Anfield at the moment!
Alonso on the move?
In what is arguably the biggest story of the day for Liverpool, the Daily Mail is reporting that Real Madrid and Liverpool have come to agreement on an unbelievable move that would give Rafa £22m and Gabriel Heinze for Xabi Alonso. The move is reportedly the first of many for new Madrid president Florentino Perez. More to come on this one as it comes, but for now just treat this as nothing more than a rumour.
[article linke]
Another Brazilian wonderkid
Independent publication, Source, is claiming victory for Rafa Benitez in the race to sign Brazilian youngster Zezinho. Liverpool have reportedly fended off Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea for his signature. The 17-year-old who currently plays football in Brazil for second division with Juventude, is reportedly an attacking midfielder that can play on the left. And we all know we can use as much cover as possible on the left! [article line]
Owen back to Anfield?
Goal.com is reporting via the Sunday People that Liverpool players have implored Rafa Benitez to sign Michael Owen this summer. To be honest, I’d rather we not bring Owen back just for nostalgia’s sake; but considering we could get him on a free at the moment, I say bring him in and give him a chance to prove he’s still got the form to make it in the Premier League. [article link]
Ok, so you might think this indicates a slow news day, or a lad with too much time on his hands. Or both. But bear with me here. Throughout the next week, I will be posting my top 50 players ever to have worn the red of Liverpool. It is a fabulous collection, filled with characters, quality and, of course, bucketloads of trophies. Feel free to shoot down the poor suggestions, although I will expect good reasoning behind your own! Here are players 40-31:
40. Chris Lawler (1963-1976)
Full backs rarely get excessive praise doled out to them, and in Chris Lawler’s case this was no different. A local lad, given his debut as a nineteen year old by Bill Shankly, Lawler will go down in Anfield folklore for his goalscoring exploits in an era when full-backs were expected to be….well…fully back. “The Ghost” notched an incredible 61 goals in his time at Liverpool, including a famous Merseyside derby winner in 1970. His attacking instincts were considered by many to be ahead of their time, yet his defensive solidarity was rarely diminished, and he became a mainstay of the great sides of the 60s and 70s. So regular was his contribution- at one point he managed an amazing 241 consecutive appearances- that, upon hearing of an ankle strain for the quiet defender in training, Shankly was moved to brand him a “malingerer” in one of the great man’s most acerbic, and hilarious, quotes.
39. Albert Stubbins (1946-1952)
Did you know that only one footballer features on the cover of the Beatles’ iconic Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover? Considering that the album was released in December 1966, you might reasonably expect that footballer to have been Bobby Moore, fresh from his World Cup success that summer? Or George Best, who was the hottest thing in British football at the time? Pele even? No, it was Albert Stubbins, a Geordie forward for whom the decision to sign for Liverpool (ahead of Everton, who were also interested) was made via the toss of a coin. Liverpool won, and enjoyed six years of Stubbins’ dainty touch, bravery and finishing ability. 83 goals in 180 appearances followed, along with a league winners’ medal in 1947. His place in the great pantheon of Liverpool strikers is well assured, and he must have been pretty special if Lennon & Macca wanted him on their cover.
38. Xabi Alonso (2004-present)
When Rafa Benitez arrived at Liverpool in 2004, he was shocked at the squad he had inherited from Gerard Houllier. Bereft of confidence, width and composure, he knew he had a big job on to revitalise a side that had slipped frighteningly away from the league’s summit. Fortunately, he knew where he needed to go to begin the revolution. Xabi Alonso was captaining Real Sociedad at the age of 22, and was a key figure as the side pushed the mighty Real Madrid all the way to the final day of the La Liga season in 2003. His arrival at Anfield may have set the club back £10.5m, but it already looks like a bargain. Steven Gerrard remarked a few months into Alonso’s Merseyside career that he was “the best passer I have ever seen”, and fans purred at his technique, scope of passing and marvellous set-pieces. A broken ankle interrupted his debut season, but he returned swiftly to score the levelling goal in the Champions League final, following up after his penalty was saved, and has been a mainstay of the Liverpool midfield since. Even after a much-protracted departure from the club failed to happen last summer, he has knuckled down and proven himself again to be one of the most important players at the club, and fans’ favourite too. Class.
37. John Aldridge (1987-1989)
The term “natural goalscorer” is something of an enigmatic one in my opinion. How do you “naturally” score goals? Maybe John Aldridge can provide the answer on that one. Aldridge had carved out a good reputation for scoring goals at lower league sides Newport County & Oxford United when Kenny Dalglish brought him home to Liverpool in 1987 for three-quarters of a million pound. Ian Rush’s departure for Juventus that summer accelerated his importance to the side, and by the end of the 87-88 season “Aldo” had smashed 26 goals in 36 games to steer the Reds to a blissfully pleasing title success. Far from gifted technically, Aldridge possessed an unerring calmness in front of goal, the anticipation to manoeuvre himself into the optimum goalscoring position with incredible regularity, and a rapport with the fans that has not been matched by many. A missed penalty in the FA Cup final defeat to Wimbledon in 1988 was made up for by the opening goal the following year against Everton, and it was a sad sight to see him forced to leave the club for Real Sociedad in September 1989 in order to accommodate the returned Rush. Still, he managed to sign off in style, a penalty in a 9-0 rout of Crystal Palace was his last act as a Liverpool player, and he left the Anfield pitch semi-naked after an emotional farewell to the fans.
36. Gordon Milne (1960-1967)
Not many players can boast of having picked up Second AND First Division medals with Liverpool, but Gordon Milne- a lithe, intelligent right-half signed by Shankly from Preston in August 1960- can lay claim to that particular feat. Milne forged a solid triumbrant with Willie Stevenson & Ron Yeats in Shankly’s early 60s side, and was a key figure in the promotion back to the First Division, and subsequent title successes of 1964 & 66, as well as the FA Cup run of 1965, although the diminutive Milne would miss the final through injury.
35. Ronnie Whelan (1980-1994)
Stepping into the shoes of Ray Kennedy was never going to be an easy task, especially for a shy Irishman. But Whelan, one of Bob Paisley’s most thrifty signings, responded to the task with gusto. A goal on his Liverpool debut against Stoke in April 1981 was a sign of things to come, and Whelan would make several seismic contributions to the Reds’ sustained success in the 1980s, including decisive goals in the 1982 & 1983 Milk Cup wins over Tottenham & Manchester United. His driving runs from the left were almost undefendable, he bit hard in the tackle and, according to respected Liverpool writer Brian Reade “he could control the tempo of a game like no one I have ever seen before, Souness included”. Would go on to captain the club in his later career, and scored 73 goals in almost 500 appearances in the red shirt.
34. Peter Beardsley (1987-1991)
When Graeme Souness’ mistakes as Liverpool manager are dredged up, invariably the name Peter Beardsley is up near the top of a rather sizeable list. Beardsley was criminally allowed to leave the club for Merseyside rivals Everton in 1991 for a paltry £1m, and Liverpool would search for years to find a link man of such ability and consistency. Signed from Newcastle for £1.9m (a record at the time) in 1987, Beardsley was perhaps the most tricky customer in the English game. His lightning quick feet and low centre of gravity masked a toughness in possession, and his awareness and vision was the perfect foil for the more clinical Aldridge and the silky skills of Barnes. The natural successor to King Kenny, Beardsley scored 60 goals in 177 appearances for Liverpool, and would go on to become a favourite at Everton, as well as Newcastle, where he returned to captain the side under Kevin Keegan during the club’s purple patch in the mid 1990s.
33. John Toshack (1970-1978)
Ignore the poetry and the fact that he can’t resist a barney with Robbie Savage, remember Tosh the way he was supposed to be, a forward of devastating aerial ability, able to bulldoze his way through even the toughest defences, and capable of forging the most intelligent of partnerships with Kevin Keegan. Toshack cost £110,000 when Shankly signed him from Cardiff in 1970, and there were doubts as to whether the introverted Welshman would make it at Anfield. But with Keegan’s arrival came the kick-start to his career at Liverpool, and the big man played a huge part in the League, UEFA Cup and FA Cup successes in the 1970s with 96 goals in 246 appearances. All together now: “Toshack! Keegan! 1-0!!!”
32. Jan Molby (1984-1995)
When you play alongside Marco Van Basten & Johann Cruyff, as Molby did at Ajax, you are bound to pick up a thing or two. Well, it could be argued that even those two greats could teach Big Jan little. Not before nor since have Liverpool possessed a midfielder who could do what Molby could. His passing, short or long, had a deftness and accuracy that was almost computer programmed, his composure on the field was permanently in place (see the 1986 FA Cup final for the best evidence of this) and his penalty taking reached legendary status (Jamie Carragher notes in his book that as a youngster Molby told him he was celebrating his anniversary….”ten years since I missed a penalty”). He also managed to write himself into Liverpool folklore by picking up the most Scouse of accents, despite being born in Denmark and growing up as a footballer in Holland. Spooky.
31. Ian St. John (1961-1971)
A club record signing at £37,500 from Motherwell in 1961, St John was a Scotsman very much in Shankly’s mould. Tough, fearless and dedicated, Saint became a pivotal player in Liverpool’s march through the Second Division in 1962, and forged a devastating partnership with Roger Hunt as Liverpool romped to League success in 1964 & 1966. Saint would also ensure his place in Liverpool history with the winning goal as Liverpool beat Leeds to win their first ever FA Cup in 1965. Pacy, strong in the air despite a lack of height, a smart finisher off either foot, and fiercely competitive, the Saint was a firm favourite with the fans through the 60s, scoring 118 goals in 426 appearances before a fall-out with Shankly led to his departure from the club in 1971.
Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt & Daniel Agger have all agreed new deals recently, so when are the club going to sign up the one player no Liverpool fan wants the club to sell?
If you are wondering who im on about, its Xabi Alonso. The guy has had his best season since signing for the club, showing how valuable he is to the team with game after game of great performances ever since the Lazio pre season friendly.
The club should be working their arse off to get him signed onto a new contract, and finally put to bed all this talk of him leaving to fund a move for Gareth Barry or Steward Downing.
On 29 May, 1985, fans of both Liverpool and Juventus went to Heysel Stadium in Brussels to watch a European Cup final; sadly 39 of those supporters never returned from the match. In what was arguably the darkest hour in UEFA history, 39 fans died after an retaining fell, crushing supporters in the process.
I don’t want to go into great detail on the tragedy because to be honest, it just brings up too many debates about the incident. Everyone can have their own opinion, but when that opinion turns into something more vile — well that’s where I draw my line in the sand, take a deep breath and walk on.
On this day I’d like to remember the victims of the horrible tragedy and ask all of you to take a moment of silence in their honour…
In Memoria e Amicizia, in Memory and Friendship:
Rocco Acerra
Bruno Balli
Alfons Bos
Giancarlo Bruschera
Andrea Casula
Giovanni Casula
Nino Cerullo
Willy Chielens
Giuseppina Conti
Dirk Daenecky
Dionisio Fabbro
Jacques François
Eugenio Gagliano
Francesco Galli
Giancarlo Gonnelli
Alberto Guarini
Giovacchino Landini
Roberto Lorentini
Barbara Lusci
Franco Martelli
Loris Messore
Gianni Mastrolaco
Sergio Bastino Mazzino
Luciano Rocco Papaluca
Luigi Pidone
Bento Pistolato
Patrick Radcliffe
Domenico Ragazzi
Antonio Ragnanese
Claude Robert
Mario Ronchi
Domenico Russo
Tarcisio Salvi
Gianfranco Sarto
Giuseppe Spalaore
Mario Spanu
Tarcisio Venturin
Jean Michel Walla
Claudio Zavaroni
Fernando Torres is having a dream week that most Liverpool (players past and present) could only dream of. He’s leading the club to their best league point total one day, and then hearing wedding bells the next!
Torres married Olalla Dominguez in a secret ceremony in Spain. Sorry ladies, but Torres is officially off the market! I know many of you will be weeping tears of sorrow after hearing the news.
Liverpool FC striker Fernando Torres has married his childhood sweetheart in a secret ceremony in his Spanish homeland.
Torres, 25, married Olalla Dominguez, 23, in a ceremony with just two guests.
The couple were married in tiny El Escorial town hall north of Madrid for a low-key ceremony conducted by a local councillor.
Torres’ new bond with his wife isn’t the only things he’s talking about. The striker also talked about his new contract and his love for Liverpool earlier today in an article via the Echo. His goal next season? To bring a trophy back to Anfield. Sounds like a good goal to me!
“I want to remain here,” he said. “Since arriving at Liverpool I feel that there’s a bond and commitment.
“We listened to the club’s offer, which came on the back of two seasons of positive work.
“My objective now is to win a trophy with Liverpool next year.” (Liverpool Echo)
Rick Parry is to leave Liverpool FC soon now the season is finished, and the club have wasted no time in looking for his replacement, placing an advert online saying they need someone to “give outstanding leadership” and “ensure the manager has the resources and support to enable the team to win European and domestic championships”. Sound like something you can do? read more to found out how to apply! (if you really want a laugh read the person specification)
Parry was at the centre of the 2007 Champions league final ticketing fiasco, choosing to concentrate more on corporate tickets than for true fans, and has also been criticised for his slow communication in terms of transfers, so the club now need someone to take charge who can give the fans what they want.
If you’ve ever sat there on football manager for hours thinking “i could do this full time”, now’s your chance (you wont be picking the team but you will be running the club). The person spec says they want a charismatic leader – clearly they want to move away from the horrible ties sported by Parry.
If you want to apply for his job, click here to be taken to a recruitment agency website.
What have you got to lose? you couldn’t do much worse now could you?
Posted by russell | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 29-05-2009
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Liverpool are rumoured to be interested in a number of players that could all be instant stars at the club starting next season. Whilst we still have to wait and see where they stand on Rafa’s transfer list, I think it’s safe to say that every name in the rumour list today should bring a smile your face.
Believe, believe it not, or believe it maybe, these are the rumours circulating Liverpool at the moment.
Madrid star lands on Rafa’s transfer list
The Liverpool Echo (via FansFC) is reporting that Liverpool are interested in fighting Chelsea and Manchester City for the chance to add Atletico Madrid star Sergio Agüero to their strike force.
Whilst both of the other clubs being linked with him at the moment have funds to spend, we do have something they don’t: former Madrid striker Fernando Torres. I’d imagine he’d enjoy linking up with his former team-mate. [article link]
Liverpool meet Tevez valuation
The Times has confirmed that Liverpool and Manchester City have met Carlos Tevez’s £25m valuation. The United striker will be making a decision on his future this summer and could spurn his former club for Anfield. [article link]
Martinez confirms interest in Liverpool
Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez has confirmed his interest in Liverpool even though the club has yet to make a formal offer.
“If I receive an offer, I will deal with it with the club.” Martinez said. “Liverpool are a great team with a great history and any player would like to go there.”
It is rumoured that Benitez is looking at Martinez as a future replacement for Xabi Alonso. And at 20-years-old he’d have a perfect tutor in Alonso to teach him the ropes of the Premier League. [article link]
Remember this beautiful structure in the photo? I’m sure you do as it was once Liverpool’s proposed stadium that Messrs. Hick and Gillett promised us a couple years ago. It was a beautiful new stadium that was supposed to put us right at the top of Europe with the most advanced home around. 
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